Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1887-07-15
FARM AND GARDEN.
rERPEruAL BLACKBERRY PATCHES.

iipSihp UP anu tilONlHB Out lnc lOptS'
With Improved sorts Tia $ tendency is
an important addition to their value,
~ successive crops Of berry bushes
may thus be sold from the same ground,
with only enough labor to keep the
plants free from weeds.
TIE soRREL WEED.
A good dressing of manure is what
most land infested with sorrel weed
most needs. The sorrel grows because
II is a poor starveling plant that will
.hrive where better heritage cannot
make the sol rich enough. Seed heav-
lily with clover and timothy, and the va
rious growth of better grasses will
keep most of the sorrel down so that it
will not much affect the crop. If the
and is badly filled with sorrel, plow
before the weed ripens its seeds which
s very early.
GRASS FOR FARRowING sows.
Were it not SO important to get early
pigs, the late Spring and early Summer
would he much the best time TO have
sows farrow. Both sows and pigs do
better now. especially f allowed to run
IN graS, or clover. They will live aud
hrive on this with very little other
iced. The green grass diet keeps the
sows from becoming too fat, and pre-
vents danger of fever. As soon as the
IS are dropped give the sow warm
oran mashes. and after a few days add
grain or meal, but let her run at grass
and pick up as much of her living as
she will.
RIVER BOTTOMS.
The bottom land adjoining river
banks is often plowed in Winter or
early Spring and should, if possible, be
kept in grass to hold the sediment that
IS left by receding water Though often
submerged by water, this land at
other seasons is generally well drained,
as the river bed. being much lower, af-
lords good outlet. 1t is generally
also rich in vegetable matter that be-
'ng large part of the accumulated
sediment, which thus keeps the SOL IN
he loose and friable condition that
they are in on good land before cult
vation has taken their vergin fertility
FLOWING LAND IN RIDGES.
Before the advent of the mower and
reaper, fields were generally plowed
N lands often narrow with ridge in
N the middle where the back furrow
was maid. and furrow where the
land was finished off 1t was not very
good for corn growing, as one row
across the field in the furrow would
not amount to much; but for small
grain. and especially Winter wheat,
these numerous burrows removed sur
face water so that the grain yield was
increased. Even with the underdrains
there is often need of burrows to take
oil surface water while the soil in
Winter or early Spring is frozen, so
that water cannot sink down to the
tiles.
JUNE GRASS FOR HAY.
One reason why June grass is so es-
teemed for hay is because it is alw AVS
left until too late. The seed stalk is
up by the first of June. and t would be
better in most cases to cut it by this
time or little before. The grass
loses not only its patatableness, but its
nutritve character becomes mass of
woody fbres. 1t is not very good
hay grass, Is when in It's best condition
ii j. mainly composed of leaves Il flicult
both TO gather and cure. But on rich
soil it may be cut often, AMI a small
crop of nutrit Gus heritage at each
cutting aggre gates good deal during
the season. Under these repeated
cuttings June grass maze, soft. vel
yety sod, id this renders it excellent
for lawns.
CATS As BIRD DEsTROYERS.
While civil cation has reduced many
Of the native enemies Of insect-destroy-
ing birds. it has added one to the num-
Der which in deadly efficiency sur
passes all the rest. in the household
cat 1t is almost impossible for birds
to rear their young near a house for
this reason, although, with the in
stinct resulting from many generations
OF use, birds return each year to their
accustomed places, only to see their
young fall prey to the cat when they
begin to fly. Scarcely one young bird
In thousand escapes, and this alone
is sufficient explanation for tn g
Gecreas in numbers of our feathered
songsters. Cats that learn to prey on
birds lose relish for other game, except
when Dir ven to it by hunger, and in
thousands of cases the cat having such
habits is less helpful to the farmer or
household than are the birds it de-
stroy.
LOSSES FROM WET LANDS.
In most gran fields there are wet
places where the crop is so killed out that